July 11, 2024 - Last minute success!
It was another beautiful sunny day as we set out on the open boat in search of some whales. The morning wind was still slowing down so we chose to start our search in the Southern Gulf Islands. The scenery was breathtaking as we wove in and out of islands in search of whales. We decided to head into Active Pass and check out some harbour seals while we made our decision on where to go next. We decided our best option was to try our luck in the Georgia Strait which is always a great spot to find humpbacks. As we headed through Active Pass towards the Strait we prepared ourselves for some waves but as we entered more open waters we were met with glassy conditions.
Travelling through the Strait we got to witness a very cool phenomenon where the fresh water from the Fraser River meets the salt water of the Salish Sea. Where the 2 waters meet, because of their difference in densities they don’t immediately mix which forms a line in the water. On one side you see browner water which is the fresh water and on the other side, you see dark blue which is the salt water. Freshwater mixing into the seawater provides much-needed nutrients to sea life and is one of the reasons why the Salish Sea is so ecologically diverse!
We were still not having any luck finding whales in the Strait so we decided to pay the Steller sea lions a visit at Stinky Rocks. Not only was the rock fully loaded with sea lions but we also got to see more harbour seals, a juvenile and adult Bald Eagle, and even a Turkey Vulture!
Did you know that Turkey Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew? Turkey Vultures are obligate scavengers which means that their diet is made almost exclusively of carrion (decaying meat). These birds find carrion with their incredible sense of smell. They can smell carrion from over a mile away! That’s a good sniffer!
We continued our journey north for one last opportunity to find a whale. and just as we were about to turn towards Nanaimo we saw blows on the horizon. The whale we were fortunate enough to encounter was Dalmatian (BCY0994). Dalmatian was clearly enjoying some dinner below but before he’d go for another dive in search of food, he showed off that gorgeous fluke which you can see below along with other pictures from the trip. All photos were taken by marine naturalist Aly Kohlman.
Dalmatian before he goes for a deep dive.
We like to ID humpbacks using the ventral side of the tail, but did you know we can also use their dorsal fins for IDs?
Do you see the white on the ventral side of the fluke? It has circular scaring from barnacles being attached that looks like spots.
Dalmatian going for a dive with BC ferries in the back ground
A Steller sea lion enjoying some sun on the rock.
A Steller sea lion cuddle puddle
A turkey vulture on the left and juvenile bald eagle on the right.
Vultures are incredible at soaring, they’ve been recorded not flapping their wings once in 2 hours.
This bald eagle wont get its white head and tail until it is around 5 years old.
Juvenile bald eagle taking off
Eventually this eagle’s wings will be all brown
Habour seals checking out the boat